Bringing a variety of flavours to your plate and delicious scents & visual interest to your garden, herbs fill our senses. They have been grown in our gardens for many centuries, both for culinary and medicinal uses, and although today they are mainly grown for cooking with and as ornamental plants, they remain as popular as ever.
Where to grow. Herbs are often grown together, either in a separate bed or in a group of patio containers or herb planter. This works well near the kitchen door, where they can be quickly and easily harvested, and where the scent of the foliage can be enjoyed when passing by on a warm day. The only drawback to grouping them so is that the herb bed may look rather dull compared to other areas of flowering plants, as although herbs do flower, they are not usually bred to produce a good show. Better perhaps, to plant your herbs amongst other garden plants, this also gives you more choice in which to give each herb it’s desired amount of light or shade.
Here’s a rundown of the best culinary herbs for your garden, and how to use them:
Basil – Classic Italian herb, used with pasta, salads and in pesto. Tender annual, sow regularly in summer to ensure a continuous supply as quickly goes to seed. Good on windowsill.
Chives – Light, onion flavour, edible leaves and flowers. Trim to ground level after flowering to encourage new foliage. Full sun and soil.
Thyme – Distinctive savoury flavour used in Mediterranean cooking and beef dishes. Needs full sun all day as it will not thrive in even partial shade. Copes well with poor, stony soil.
Parsley – An essential herb, used widely and high in antioxidants. Well drained fertile soil in sun or part shade.
Mint – Good with lamb, infused in tea, summer drinks, and in many sweet dishes. Easy to grow, prefers moist, rich soil in sun or part shade. Can become invasive, keep in a submerged pot if unsure.
Coriander – Essential for Asian recipes. Leaves used fresh, seeds dried. Annual that needs frequent sowings through the summer to keep going, as quick to bolt.
Rosemary – Mediterranean shrub with a distinctive flavour, often used with lamb or chicken. Full sun and well-drained soil
Oregano – Herb that is often used with tomatoes on pizza and pasta in Italian cuisine, also in Greek and Mexican dishes. soil, full sun.
Sage – Savoury leaf paired often with meat. Several varieties with ornamental, purple or variegated silver or gold leaves, all types having attractive blue-purple flowers. Prefers full sun and well drained soil.
Tarragon – Herb used in French dishes, mostly with chicken and sauces. Well drained, full sun.
Lavender – This well known flowering shrub gives scent from it’s leaves and flowers. Full sun and well drained soil.
Lemon Balm – Leaves with a lemony scent, some varieties gold or variegated. Full sun or partial shade
Bay laurel – Mediterranean shrub with scented leaves, used widely in soups, casseroles and many other dishes. Full sun or partial shade. Made into formal shapes such as pyramids and lollipop trees
Dill – Fine leaved herb often used with salmon and in Scandinavian cooking. Full sun and soil. Needs sowing regularly for a constant supply.
